I really really <3 my pony at times. Got to the yard and Rory and Duke were both laid down asleep. Snuck over and Duke spotted me and got up but Rory was spark out and when I did get to him he just woke up and watched me so we had lots of laid down cuddles with Duke standing over both of us. He got up to follow as I left and pulled the most amusing faces whilst yawning. Moved both boys back to their field and have got them a round bale of hay. Duke had a minor reminder that he doesnt pull when being led especially as I had him and Rory in the same hand whilst doing an electric gate with a knacked shoulder.
Had a lesson with L this evening and given how bad the shoulder has been and that Pait can be hard work to say the least I opted for Rory who hates rein contact so I knew wouldn't pull or lean on me, :-p
Bless him he got straight down to work really relaxing and using himself. Did lots of lateral work to get him using himself now the hocks are decent and he tried his little heart out even nearly managing a shoulder-in when doing flexion work. I really have to get stuck into schooling now hes not as crocked just need to remember to do lots of hacking between sessions and restart using his massage pad which I have fallen out of the habit of using.

Lovely day with  the ponies. Rode Rory out round the fields for an hour and to say that he did nearly all of it in trot and canter he still came bounding back into the yard like I hadn't even worked him yet! Remembered to change bit out of the snaffle so my arms weren't pulled out of their sockets but I put him in a wilkie rather than his other myler which M has "borrowed" and he was not happy about it so I had to keep almost completely off his head in the slower work which lead to a rather high head carriage at times.
Got back and M had arrived at the yard she asked if I was riding Pait but my knee is rather sore at the moment and I didn't feel like another ride so madame P-pot got out of work. Suggested I'd help her with Duke instead so we tried my albion saddle on and its ok with a thick pad as the girth is a tad lng otherwise and took him into the school. M spent a bit stood on the mounting block leaning over and applying weight whilst I held him then she bit the bullet and got on. (So far he's had me sat on once bareback in the large stable whilst M held) Did a few laps of the school including a change of rein whilst I lead him and he was brilliant needs a change of bit and a lot of long reining to introduce steering and breaks as the next step. While we were doing this another livery came into the school and was riding round while Duke showed he truly wasnt bothered!

Bit belated ODE post. Em and I took Rory and Bex to do the mini ODE at our local RC. It's only 35cm and intro tests so I will admit to babying Rory but my jumping confidence is zilch since doing my knee. This was the first one that we actually had a working, MOT'd wagon and a driver so didn't need to hack down hindsight is Rory is much easier to warm up and more chilled when made to hack first :-p
First up was dressage we went in and had a walk round the arena at which point Rory said he disliked one corner and I knew he would not get over no matter how many looks I gave him so made a mental note of short reins and lots of inside leg otherwise I'd go past it in a beautiful leg yield which sadly isn't part of the test. Test was ok but he didn't feel quite right on the corners it was windy and he was a lot tenser so hopefully thats all it was. Test was marked quite harshly IMO and I definately disagreed with his mark for free walk and the comment calling for more stretch. Yet the trot 20m circle with only some stretching shown which I agree with got a higher mark. Meh Ive kind of just dismissed that score sheet. Dressage finished up on 58%
Onto the jumping he warmed up rather keen, I'd prefer to trot into the jumps at the moment he said no way and shot off into canter a couple of strides out each time so decided just to canter as I actually had more control of the pace then. He did a fab clear round and really motored on between the fences had a minor spook inbetween fences at catching sight of fencejudge sat in a chair! but quickly relocked onto the next fence and was off.
Finished 4th with our dressage score but had a fab day and am determined to refind my brave-pants for the jumping.

So pleased with both ponies today. First was Pait I'd got dad to bring the cart up to the yard for me to get Pait back into it. She hasnt been in the cart since she was away being broken to harness last year although I've long reined etc a few times in full harness. Had D giving me a hand so harnessed up and longreined Pait in the school, then had D hold her whilst I hitched the cart up, Did a lap of school with cart on but me driving from the ground with D on lungeline atthed to a headcollar, then got into the cart! Few more laps and I decided to brave the road as it is very tight to drive in the school so we set off through the village with D at Paits head with the line. Spun round at the end of the road with Pait just throwing her shoulder straight into the shaft and crossing her legs to bring it round <3 on way home I asked D to drop back until she was along side me then got her in the cart and trotted back to the yard. I was buzzing you'd think Pait drove everyday with how good she was.
Then I had a ridden lesson on Rory. First lesson since he was lame and had his hocks done and he was brilliant even better he didn't break at being in the school working! Need to crack on and work on suppling him up up now

DPS summer show

Well yesterday was the summer breed show at Barnard castle and I had decided to take both Pait and Rory. Friday I finished work at half 4 then went straight to the yard to start bathing and prepping ponies. By the time I'd finished there then been and moved the cart out of the wagon and gone home and cleaned all sets of tack and long boots it was 11.15pm by the time I crawled into bed. 5am came rather too quickly and it was up to the yard to see what damage control I had to take. Given Rory lives outside he was actually quite clean and Pait had left her socks white but coated her hocks in poo to make up for it.
Set off at 6.45 and arrived at about 8.30 with me thinking the first class was at 9.30. At 8.55 the 5 min call went out over the tannoy and I realised that I was slightly wrong not in show gear and pony not even tacked up it was a rather quick throw stuff on and trot across the field to warm Rory up.
It was a very srong class and I didn't expect Rory to do anything it was just nice experience for the 2 of us. He did a fab individual marred by a wrong strikeoff into canter on the left rein (we've been struggling with this at home and Ive figured out it's my weight and balance that is wonky since the knee and Rory listens to my seat not the leg aid and thinks hes doing it correct) pulled bak to trot and straight back into canter and immediatly asked him to extend and he pulled a fab gallop out showing the (one!) pace hes good at.
Next up was Madame P-pot in her ridden class (sadly and unplanned Rory's inhand clashed so Em had to take him in that) she was a star and gave me a fab ride and stood perfectly in the lineup came sixth which I was a bit disapointed with but just so proud of how well she went for how little ive had her out.
Lunch break in which Rory had a few snort attackes and eyes on stalks at the carriages but that is very tame for him and Pait just let him swing round into her without disembowling him always a bonus.
Just got back n Rory to do his ridden class when the heavens opened and we got drenched he went well in the class if a bit tense but unplaced. It was lovely to see people and Pait's breeders said hello and got to see her which was lovely.
Can't wait for next year when Pait is more established and hopefully Rory will have more muscle on.